Reading is the gateway to learning. If our children can't read, they have little hope for a successful future. Our comprehensive literacy policy includes strategies to support students, families, teachers, and administrators to improve reading skills.
Currently, in over 32 of our 49 Pasco elementary schools, 50% or more of our students are below grade level in reading. Literacy is fundamental for lifelong learning. According to the Casey Foundation, children who are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out or fail to graduate from high school.
Literacy Plan:
School Safety Plan:
School safety and student discipline go hand in hand. Students must be free from violence and threats to achieve their fullest academic potential. Working closely with our law enforcement partners, we will not accept behavior that is disruptive to the learning environment of other students.
Students who cannot abide by the student code of conduct will be placed into alternative learning environments where they can get the help they need and not be disruptive to others. Dr. Legg's plan has the endorsement of law enforcement personnel in Pasco to ensure the safety of our students.
Not every student may need a four-year liberal arts degree, but every student DOES need post-secondary education. Post-secondary education can be in the form of a four-year college, two-year technical school, or stackable industry certifications. Today's careers are changing and expanding. Unfortunately, too many high school graduates lack the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in college or the workforce.
Education to workforce pathways can empower students to learn authentic, in-demand skill sets that prepare them for growing mid-wage and high-wage careers. These pathways can prepare students for future careers while ensuring quality, value, and access for all students. They prepare students for college and careers while offering valuable college credit, an associate's degree in high school, or industry credentials.
Working with leaders across the country, Dr. Legg has co-authored model policies for Florida and other states entitled "Credentials for All", which established CTE programs in Florida. Moreover, Dr. Legg co-founded the first Early College program in Pasco, where students graduate with associate's degrees and industry certifications to assist them in life and careers.
Pasco County has a budget of over $2 billion. In a bureaucracy this large, both waste and efficiency occur.
Dr. Legg's Cents and Sensibility Program consists of:
Dr. Legg knows that we must sensibly use our precious resources. Education dollars are needed to assist our students and families and pay our teachers, not fund bureaucracies and ineffective programs.
One size does NOT fit all. Students deserve a customized education program that meets their individual needs. Over the past decade, Pasco has expanded school choice options, but we still can do more.
Families deserve a choice of programs, whether it be in the arts, the medical field, science and technology, agriculture, foreign languages, mechanics, CTE, accelerated options, Early College, ESE, or other disciplines.
Families deserve high-quality options that meet their family's interests. As a school district, Pasco must continue to partner with all its stakeholders to expand high-quality, accountable school choice options for all Pasco families.
Early learning is critical to providing our Pasco students with the skills they need to be successful in the early years of their education. As co-founder of one of Pasco's most successful Early Learning programs, Dayspring's Little Scholars, Dr. Legg knows firsthand the benefits of preparing our three to five-year-olds with high-quality Early Learning programs.
The cognitive and social skills acquired in quality VPK programs place our children on a pathway to success. Dr. Legg's plan calls for the expansion of quality VPK programs, both within the district and with our private and faith-based providers.
"The quality of the Teacher determines the quality of the school" (Whitaker, 2020).
Teachers are professionals. Dr. Legg's plan will treat teachers as professionals, allowing them to run their classrooms and inspire our students to reach their academic potential.
Dr. Legg's plan will also:
The most influential teachers and educators are parents and families. Dr. Legg's plan calls for an INCREASE in parental engagement in the schools. Research is clear: families that are engaged in education attain higher academic achievement and stronger schools. Dr. Legg's plan calls for every school to have a family engagement coordinator who assists with and encourages parental involvement. Dr. Legg wants to help our parents be involved in our schools and knows how to make that happen.
The integration of the arts in our schools is essential. From visual and performing arts to music and movement, the arts enrich educational experiences and empower learning.
Arts education builds communication skills, teamwork, and collaboration, while strengthening creativity and problem-solving. Additionally, the arts contribute significantly to the holistic development of students, impacting cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions.
As co-founder of Pasco's first public arts school, Dr. Legg knows firsthand how critical the arts are for students from Pre-K through 12th grade. Dr. Legg's plan will strengthen arts educational programs by increasing the number of Florida Arts Model Schools (FAMS) in Pasco, as well as supporting and funding the arts initiatives in our school.
Learning occurs continually outside of the classroom. Field trips, extracurricular activities, and recess engage students in real-life learning, allowing for deeper learning, and social engagement that strengthens academic performance. Our school district and our individual schools must prioritize field trips, extracurricular activities, and recess and make them available from K-12.
Technology, digital tools, and digital literacy skills are essential for the 21st-century workforce. We must prepare our students with the needed skills to master these tools to succeed in college, careers, and life. Technology cannot replace learning but can enhance school and workplace effectiveness.
As a co-founder of Dayspring Academy, the first 1:1 school in Pasco, and the author of the Digital Classroom Funding for Florida, Dr. Legg believes that technology, when appropriately used, will strengthen learning.
Civic education and community engagement are critical for the future of our country. In addition to the state-required civics curriculum and standards, Dr. Legg's plan will boost civic engagement with community programs and partnerships that include respected civic literacy organizations, such as the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute.
Our students are the next generation of leaders in our community, and we need them to be engaged NOW with our community's civic and service organizations.